at one point, justice antonin scalia said the law, once a civil rights landmark, now amounted to, quote, a per pep weighs of racial entitlement. and that remark created the sharpest ex-ching of the morning with justice sonia sotomayor on the other end. quote, do you think the right to vote is a racial entitlement? she later asked the lawyer challenging the law with an edge in her voice that left little doubt she was responding to justice scalia's statement. "do you think that racial discrimination in voting has ended, there there is none anywhere?" i'd like to be able to watch the exchange on my tv or ipad. when going through the confirmation in 2009, societoma said i like the idea. when i've been asked to join experiments of using cameras in the courtroom, i have

volunteered. telling charlie rose, quote, i don't think most viewers take the time to actually delve into either the briefs or the legal arguments to appreciate what the court is doing, she said. they speculate about oh, the judge favors this point rather than that point. very few of them understand what the process is, which is to play devil's advocate. well, her answer is a problem. even if most americans couldn't follow the arguments, that's no reason to shut us out. ironically, that logic sounds similar to what was used to justify the poll restrictions that necessitated the voting rights act. and i'll bet this week justice sotomayor wishes a camera had recorded justice scalia's intemperate mark. senator arlen specter was a champion for cameras in the courtroom. its open proceedings should be televised to inform the public how its government operates. specter was right. it's time to televise the court. that's "hardball" for now.

thanks for being with us. "the ed show" with ed schultz starts right now. good evening, americans, and welcome to "the ed show" from new york. now, who in the world thinks that the american worker should have to pay more? the republicans. this is "the ed show." let's get to work. >> it's just dumb. and it's going to hurt. it's going to hurt individual people and it's going to hurt the economy overall. >> no deal has been reached to avert the sequester. >> it's happening because a choice that republicans in congress have made. >> the spending cuts start today, and we all know who is to blame. >> a discussion about revenue in my view is over. >> nobel prize winning economist paul krugman will tell us what this all means for middle class americans. as the american people face furlough friday, congress is headed home for the weekend. tonight i'll tell them why they should get to work. the unemployed millionaire has finally emerged after his

crushing loss. >> we were on a roller coaster, exciting and thrilling ups and downs, but the ride ends. >> the big panel will break down romney's roller coaster ride of an interview. and the president makes a devastating gaffe. >> do a jedi mine meld. >> trekkies and "star wars" fans alike are outraged. the legendary george takei will tell us the difference between mind trix and mind melds. >> good to have you with us tonight, folks. thanks for watching. i think we should call today priority friday. this is a day when the rubber meets the road, where we find out where everybody is, where everybody stands on stuff. today we were left to deal with the true priority list of the republican party. as the president regretfully informed america this afternoon, the working class, well, you just need to pay more. >> starting tomorrow, everybody here, all the folks who are cleaning the floors at the

capitol. now that congress has left, somebody is going to be vacuuming and cleaning those floors and throwing out the garbage. they're going to have less pay. the janitors, the security guards, they just got a pay cut. and they got to figure out how to manage that. >> we already know the cuts from sequestration will kill 700,000 jobs within two years. a lot can happen in two years. here is an example. take a look at today's dow jones industrial index. it closed at what? 14,090. this is 75 points shy of the record. 14,165 was the number in october of 2007. but just two years later, the dow dropped below 6600 points. fortunes can turn around very quickly when you're dealing with an unstable economy. well, since 2009, the country has been scratching and clawing to rebound from an economic crisis, the worst since the depression. the growth of gdp slowed again

at the end of last year. but republicans in washington have different priorities. republicans think the wealthiest among us, well, they've just done everything that they need to do. it's the working class that just hasn't done enough. >> the president got his tax hikes on january 1. this discussion about revenue, in my view, is over. it's about taking on the spending problem here in washington. >> john boehner keeps talking about more of the same, the spending problem that simply does not exist. government spending actually fell rapidly after the stimulus ended. the last time we saw spending cuts this deep was after the korean war. even president obama's own plan to avert sequestration had spending cuts, including the chained cpi benefit cut to social security. progressives, they don't want chained cpi. there is no indication it would ever help the economy. but republicans, they don't care. they rejected that anyway. republicans are more interested in putting the burden on the

backs of teachers. you know, thousands of teaching jobs are now at risk. the traveling public is going to see fewer people keeping our airlines safe and controlling air traffic. is that a good thing? no. forget about the tough talk on border security. thousands of border control agents, well, they're about to be furloughed. republicans did nothing, absolutely nothing to avert sequestration because they are comfortable with these cuts, regardless of the outcome. >> all of this will cause a ripple effect throughout our economy. layoffs and pay cuts means that people have less money in their pockets, and that means that they have less money to spend at local businesses. that means lower profits. that means fewer hires. the longer these cuts remain in place, the greater the damage to our economy. a slow grind that will intensify with each passing day. >> my guest tonight knows about these ripple effects all too well. i'm joined by paul krugman, "new

york times" columnist, professor of economics at princeton university and winner of the nobel prize in economics. paul krugman, his latest book called "end this depression now." i'm honored. great to have you with us tonight. >> good to be on. >> how serious is this? and is it going to have the impact that has been talked about? >> well, certainly that 700,000 job number is if anything a bit conservative. this is not good for the economy. this is actually not as big a deal for the economy as the fiscal cliff, if we hadn't done something about it would have been. and certainly not as bad as failing to raise the debt limit, which would have been catastrophic, but it's bad, and of course it's degrading government services. i mean this really is not only are cuts very much the wrong thing to be doing right now, but these are especially dumb cuts. so this is not a good thing at all. >> so it could get a lot worse than 00,000 jobs? >> yeah. well, a couple of things. one is -- there is a lot of reason to believe that the numbers we've been using to estimate these things, that austerity hurts even more than

the standard estimates say. we've been looking at what has been happening in europe. you say jeez, countries that have been doing sharp spending cuts have really been suffering badly. that's probably a number on the low side. and then, you know, what does it do to our economy if we are demonstrating that we can't govern ourselves, that we can't maintain the central government services? again, that can't be good. this was designed to be stupid, right? the whole point was this was supposed to be a doomsday device that would force the parties to reach an agreement. and of course they didn't and here it goes. >> people say why did president obama come up with this, sign on it to? because he wanted the country to know and his political opposition know that he stands to lose a lot on this too. it's not good for the country. it would motive both sides. so now here we are. how long will it take before we start feeling the effects? how long would it take for the economy to get soft if that's the prediction? >> well, i think that takes a number of months. the timing is really hard to determine. you're not going to see mass layoffs in the next two weeks.

you're not even going to see massive effects on government services in the first two weeks. it builds. but by late this year, you should definitely be seeing it. this is -- this is exactly what the doctor did not order. >> what is the fix-it? >> the fix-it is just repeal the whole thing. we shouldn't be doing any of this. the fact -- a number of people have said, the fact that we're talking about what will replace the sequester, what combination of cuts will replace the sequester, that just shows that we're having the wrong conversation. this is not the time to be cutting at all. this is not the time to be obsessing with the budget deficit. the budget deficit is an issue for the next decade, not an issue for you. >> the thing that i find so amazing is there are a lot of things we can do. we have bridges that are falling down, killing people in the middle of the country in minnesota. we have roads that are buckling. we have houses with sinkholes. it's not like we would be making up projects.

>> well, the fact of the matter we have actually canceled a lot of public investment in the last couple of years at state and level year because of the scarcity of money. this are potholes not being fixed, bridges not maintained. think about it. it's crazy. we have more than a million unemployed construction workers. we have capital with no place to go, which is why interest rates are so low. this is a time when for heaven's sake, the government should be taking advantage of that cheap money and unemployed labor to be fixing stuff. and instead we've been slashing public investment. and school teachers also, that's investment in our kids, investment in the, if and we've been slashing that too. it's insane, top to bottom. >> house speaker john boehner addressed the possibility of a government shutdown later this month. here it is. >> i did lay out that the house is going to move a continuing resolution next week to fund the government past march 27th. and i'm hopeful that we won't have to deal with the threat of a government shutdown while we're dealing with the sequester

at the same time. >> does boehner realize how a bad government shutdown would be for the economy? >> i think he mostly realizes how bad. last time when it was a political disaster for the republicans. so i'm not sure he is thinking about what it would do to the economy. i think he is thinking about what it would do to him. >> what kind of spending would it take to keep us on the track that we're on right now? we've had 35 months of private sector job growth without any help from the republican party, no jobs bill has been passed of any significance. >> right. >> other than the stimulus package, which was in 2009. what kind of investment do we need to keep this growth going? >> well, actually, if we would stop cutting, the growth would keep going. what we really need, if spending had grown as fast in this recovery as it has in past recoveries, we'd be spending something like $200 billion a year state, local and federal, maybe $300 billion a year more. we'd have another -- we'd have a million and a half more public sector workers than we do right

now because we've been laying them off at an unprecedented pace. three $300 billion a year of additional spending would be appropriate. and it would mean if we did it, we would be pretty close to full employment at this point. >> so deficits don't matter? you subscribe to that? >> not that they never matter, but they really don't matter right now. this is a -- we have a depressed economy. people are trying to, you know, pull back. people are still worried about housing bubble. they're worried about their private debt. and so we have basically all these savings with no place to go. so the government should be making use of the savings, not worrying about its deficits. ten years out, our debt position still looks okay. ben bernanke said that in testimony that nobody paid attention to earlier this week. the ten-year outlook is okay. we have a problem. how are we going to pay for the government we want in the 2020s. and that's a real issue, but it's not one we have to solve right now. >> president obama did not shy away from his desire to reform social safety net programs. here it is. >> i'm prepared to take on the

problem where it exists on entitlements and do some things that my own party really doesn't like if it's part of a broader package of sensible deficit reduction. >> i mean, isn't the president offering the republican party the earned benefits programs that we would trim? that's what it sounds like. >> we have to do something about health care costs, which is what the main driver of stuff. but that doesn't really mean cutting benefits. that means cutting costs, which is -- and i have to say the president has been all along way too eager to trade away some of those crucial social safety net programs. i don't think that republican intransigence is entirely a bad thing. i live in a little bit of fear that one of these days they'll wake up and cut that deal which will actually be a bad deal for america. but the president seems all too willing to make. >> an unfair opinion here, and maybe you agree with it is that none of these programs got us where we are.

i mean, it was the round of tax cuts we saw create the jobs. it was wars that were unfunded, it was big pharma. when you look at the causes of the projected debt, it has nothing to do with what the republicans are trying to get at, and that's the big three. >> and remember that the economic crisis in turn has nothing to do with the debt, right? we've got -- yeah we have a big budget crisis, but that's a result of the crisis, not the cause of it. >> what percentage of the downturn from the housing market do you blame on where we are right now? >> the housing market drove everything. the housing market, the combination of the bust in the housing market, which right there has attracted a couple percent from goldman, more more than a couple percent, several% of gdp, plus the effect of leaving all these people with high levels of the debt and their assets just evaporated, plus the businesses are not going to spend if consumers don't have money. that's all of it. all of this is about the aftermath of the housing bust. all the deficit stuff is a

complete red herring. >> so that takes us to wall street and how we got to make sure that there is some regulation that it doesn't happen again. >> that's right. and that's something -- the reform we got is better than nothing, substantially better than nothing, but inadequate. so more of that. you know, the main thing right now is keep your eye on the ball, which is mass unemployment. create jobs, put people to work. get the school teachers rehired, fix the bridges. this is what we should be doing now. we seem determined to worry about everything but what actually matters right now. >> mr. krugman, great to have you on the program tonight. i appreciate you coming in. >> thanks. >> thank you so much. get your cell phones out. well put our poll back after the interview tonight. tonight's question, did republicans damage the country's economic recovery today? text "a" for yes. text b for no to 67622. you can go to our blog. while thousands of americans are fighting for their jobs,

eric cantor sends congress where? home. more on the political fallout next. stay with us. mine was earned in djibouti, africa, 2004. the battle of bataan, 1942. [ all ] fort benning, georgia, in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto-insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve.

coming up, mitt romney breaks his silence. if big panel weighs in. president obama offended "star wars" and ""star trek"" nerds today. george takei beams aboard "the ed show" tonight. you can listen to my radio show on sirius xm radio channel 127 monday through friday 1 to 3:00 p.m. share your thoughts on facebook and on twitter using tash hagg edshow. we're coming right back on this friday night. [ male announcer ] marie callender's puts

all the things we love about sunday meals into each of her pot pies. like tender white meat chicken and vegetables in a golden flaky crust that's made from scratch. marie callender's pot pies. it's time to savor. but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin. in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their headache fast. visit fastreliefchallenge.com today for a special trial offer. this is the agenda that the american people voted for. these are america's priorities.

they're too important to go unaddressed, and i'm going to keep pushing to make sure that we see them through. >> thanks for stay with us tonight. as president obama said, most voters support his budget proposal. in fact, the latest poll shows 60% of americans fear sequestration will have a major affect on the economy. republicans will have to answer to the workers getting furloughed at airports and air bases. the tea party will have to explain these cuts to university researchers and young children in the head start program. here is the first tangible sign of sequestration. tonight the air force cut training flights and grounded the thunderbirds aerial team for the rest of the season. let's turn to former secretary of labor robert reich with us this evening. also msnbc political analyst karen finney and leo gerard, president of the united steelworkers international. great to have all of you with us. karen, politically we're in unchartered territory. political winners and losers, why can't washington do this

deal? >> well, i think the problem that the president has had is he is trying to negotiate with people who aren't actually interested in negotiating. i mean, the president has been very clear all along that he wanted a balanced approach. we all know the talking points by now. and the republicans, though, they were pretty clear after they did that deal in the fall where they said we're not going to do any more revenue. i think most of us thought they were going to see the light and sort of not get us to this point. but then we realized that the tea party guys think this is a great thing. and now they've all tried to reframe the message as, hey, these cuts, at least we're cutting spending without really thinking about what the impact of those cuts are going to be. >> mr. gerard, isn't this the president that campaigned on sticking up for the middle class, and did he do it this week and today? >> hinge has been trying to do it this week and today. and like karen said, we is a an intransigent republican party that the public should know still after all these years trying to have him become a

failure. he is doing the right thing. he is trying to save jobs. he is also talking about investing in infrastructure, roads, bridges, pipe. he is talking all the right things. but these guys, the house is blocking it the filibuster is blocking it. the republican party i believe, ed, has to pay a price for putting the economy at risk. my wife said this to me one day. why would you run for office to damage your country? and that's what teele these people are doing. they're running for office to damage the country, but they're also damaging millions of millions of just hardworking middle class and lower class and poor people. >> mr. reich, what kind of infrastructure project would be needed to continue this economic pace that we're on? and how damaged are we at this point now that we go to this point in time in the budget cuts? >> ed, we have a lot of infrastructure projects, huge deferred maintenance across this country in terms of roads and bridges, sewers, ports, you name it. i mean if we actually invested in the infrastructure we need to

invest in, we could have more economic growth. it's not just more jobs. we could have better growth. we could have a healthier economy overall. you know, the problem for the president right now is that he is dealing with republicans who have gerrymandered themselves into safe districts where their major opponent is going to be in the primary a right-wing tea partier to their right. in other words, it doesn't matter that public opinion has put republicans, particularly house republicans lower than snake charmers. it is really a matter of getting to that kind of tipping point where even in these safe republican districts, the public just says we've had enough. >> when do you think, mr. reich, the middle class will feel these effects? >> they're going to start feeling them within the next two or three weeks. some people are feeling them already. unemployment checks in certain states have been slowed. we see that there are inspectors who are not going to be there inspecting. people are being furloughed

already. but three weeks from now, my prediction, most middle class people in this country are actually going to be aware that this is going on. >> and karen, who pays the political price here? basically, the republicans are making a calculation the longer this goes on, the impact that it's going to have, they're going to be able to hang it on the president. >> look, i think everybody takes a hit on this one, frankly. because at some point i think the american people, it's all kind of gobbledygook in washington, right? the point is why is there not a deal happening? why do we not see people sitting down? that being said, i do think as the polls have shown, the republicans will take a greater hit. what have they heard from the president? they've heard a consistent message from the president saying here is my plan, here are my ideas, let's sit down and talk. and from the republican side they have not heard that same willingness to actually come to the table and have a conversation. but i think it's going to hurt everybody. >> mr. gerard, does labor go to the streets? >> i think when you see the

outcome of the sequestration, it starts to roll out, i think what you're going to see instead of people going to the streets, per se, we're going to start to develop campaigns at members of the republican house, members of the republican senate, and we're going to put the people in front of their offices. what we've got is what bob reich says. we've got a deficit in jobs. and if we address the jobs deficit, the other deficits will good away. we have a deficit in infrastructure. we've got to put that work together. >> but can you penetrate a house that has been gerrymandered into strength? >> ed, i've got more faith in the american people. i know it's been gerrymandered. i know they've tried to rig votes, they've tried to do everything. i think the public sees their ideas are bankrupt. when you have bankrupt ideas, you're trying to gerrymander and rig the vote. and that's not going to work. i believe that the american public are going to make the republicans pay for this hostage fatigue. i'm willing to bet if you asked your audience if they've got hostage fatigue by these

republicans since they've come to office, that's all we've had. and the american public is smart enough to know that. >> mr. reich, you heard that sound bite earlier this broadcast from what speaker boehner said earlier today. he says no more revenue. how do you negotiate with that? what else can the president do? >> i think the president wants to -- right now he's got the make the case as strongly as he can to the american people that not only are the republicans willing to sacrifice the economy and jobs for the sake of avoiding slightly higher taxes on people who are wealthier than they have ever been in this nation's history, more of the total income in this country is now going to the top 1% than we have seen in 80 years. the top 1%, the top 1/10 of 1% has more of the wealth. the 400 wealthiest americans have more wealth than the bottom 150 million put together. now, if we can't raise taxes on those people somehow to start paying our bills, to have better schools, to have better roads, to have better opportunities for people, then this country has no

fundamental principles left. >> ed, if i can just say, ed, agree with most of what bob said. i just think we ought to not say raise tax. what we ought to say is close loop holes. why should a guy that is a billionaire get a tax break for his new private jet? why can he get a tax break because he can hide his money in the cayman islands? we're talking about closing loopholes so we're all paying fair share. and why would you get a tax break for a jet when you're going to cut student loans for a kid. >> we went through this with private equity. we went through this with mitt romney. we saw that the private hedge mutual funds guy getting income, millions and tens of millions of dollars and talking about it and treating it as capital gains. >> that's what they think their entitlement is as opposed to -- sorry. these guys see this as an entitlement. we ought to cut their entitlements, not cut the earned benefits of retirees. >> and karen, your final word on this is i don't believe the

republicans have identified any loopholes, have they? >> no, they haven't identified any loopholes. you know, ed, the other political losers in this potentially, although you've got republican house members who are in gerrymandered safe districts, remember that you have got some folks, republicans running for senate statewide, and republican governors who are going to have some trouble as the republican brand continues to plummet. >> backyard budgets are going to be in this equation, no doubt about it. >> that's right. >> robert reich, karen finney, leo gerard, great to have you with us. i think you could fill an hour. if you had to work 40 hours a week, this next story will blow your mind. i'm going to show you how little your member of congress really works. the loser of the presidential election sit downs with fox. stay with us. how can you get back pain relief that lasts up to 16 hours? with thermacare heatwraps. thermacare works differently. it's the only wrap with patented heat cells that penetrate deep to relax, soothe, and unlock tight muscles.

for up to 16 hours of relief, try thermacare. a talking car. but i'll tell you what impresses me. a talking train. this ge locomotive can tell you exactly where it is, what it's carrying, while using less fuel. delivering whatever the world needs, when it needs it. ♪ after all, what's the point of talking if you don't have something important to say? ♪ ya. alright, another one just like that. right in the old bucket. good toss! see that's much better! that was good. you had your shoulder pointed, you kept your eyes on your target. let's do it again -- watch me. just like that one... [ male announcer ] the durability of the volkswagen passat. pass down something he will be grateful for. good arm. that's the power of german engineering.

♪ back to you. but with kids growing up fast, fighting seven signs of aging gets harder. introducing total effects moisturizer plus serum. for the ninety-two practices, two proms, and one driving test yet to come. she'll need our most concentrated total effects ever.

welcome back to "the ed show." americans are wondering why the two sides can't stay in washington and cut a deal. president obama was pressed on that today. >> ultimately, if mitch mcconnell or john boehner say we need to go to catch a plane, i can't have secret service block the doorway. >> you know, president obama may have been joking, but congress's habit of taking off isn't a joke. most working americans are kicking back tonight after putting in a full five days on the job this week. but not the house of representatives.

you see, they were off again today. in fact, they have a whole lot of days off if you want to look at the calendar. take a look at the house calendar for 2013. wow. there is a whole bunch of white spaces there, ain't it? that's because house lawmakers are scheduled to work a whopping total of 126 days this year. that's an average of 2.4 days a week. now, the house doesn't have a single workweek that exceeds four days. you got to admit, it's nice work if you can get it. even better, under the grueling schedule, house speaker john boehner is set up to make $325,000 this year. majority leader eric cantor, he is the one that is responsible for the schedule. he is going to haul in $193,400. considering those numbers and the work schedule, would you like to have that deal? when he released the calendar, kantor said this -- part of the

goal in scheduling the house is to ensure we never lose touch with the constituents we represent while completing our work in washington. i would argue the house hasn't completed much work at all. and cantor went on the say time spent in the district between monday and friday is essential for meeting with small businesses, employ employees, seniors and veterans and other local communities during working hours. if eric cared about the constituents, he would have been at work today trying to to strike a deal. if they really want to help their constituents, i can think of better ways the house can be spending those 239 days off this year. get your ass back to washington and get to work because that's what you're getting paid for. >> can't we be on a roller coaster the rest of our life? no. the ride is over. middle class mitt is back again. he is speaking out for the first time since his loss. the big panel will take apart his wild ride.

i've got the week's wrap-up of highs and lows. your good news and the bad news ahead. >> i should somehow do a jedi mind meld with these folks and convince them to do what is right. >> president obama has outraged nerds around the country. >> these aren't the droids you're looking for. >> these aren't the droids we're looking for. >> george takei breaks down the mind tricks and the mind melds ahead. but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, ahead. ose. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! ♪ [ male announcer ] every car we build must make adrenaline pump and pulses quicken.

♪ to help you not just to stay alive... but feel alive. the c-class is no exception. it's a mercedes-benz through and through. the 2013 c-class. starting at $35,350. try e-mail marketing from constantcontact. it's the fastest, easiest way to create great-looking custom e-mails that bring customers through your door. sign up for your free trial today

at constantcontact.com/try. how sharp is your business security?o! can it help protect your people and property, while keeping out threats to your operations? it's not working! yes it is. welcome to tyco integrated security. with world-class monitoring centers and thousands of qualified technicians. we've got a personal passion to help your business run safer, smarter, and sharper. we are tyco integrated security. and we are sharper. and you'll dump your old broom. but don't worry, he'll find someone else. ♪ who's that lady? ♪ who's that lady? ♪ sexy lady ♪ who's that lady? [ female announcer ] swiffer sweeper's electrostatic dry cloths attract and lock dirt, dust, and hair on contact to clean 50% more than a broom. it's a difference you can feel. swiffer gives cleaning a whole new meaning.

and now swiffer wet and dry refills are available with the fresh scent of gain. exciting and would always come max and pto my rescue. bookstore but as time passed, i started to notice max just wasn't himself. and i knew he'd feel better if he lost a little weight. so i switched to purina cat chow healthy weight formula. i just fed the recommended amount... and they both loved the taste. after a few months max's "special powers" returned... and i got my hero back. purina cat chow healthy weight. breaking news here on "the ed show" tonight. this just in. the associated press reporting that president obama has signed the order implementing the sequestration cuts. the president was required by law to sign the order by midnight tonight and the white house had previously said that he would wait until the last minute.

but there have been no talks with republicans who have left washington after adjourning the house. this was his party's standard bearer. he was this party's standard bearer. with the political infighting that has taken place just about everywhere, is there a place for mitt romney? the former presidential nominee is speak out for the first time since the election, and he is wasting no time questioning president obama's leadership skills. shockingly, fox news got the first interview. >> how do you think the president has handled the sequester, the $85 billion in automatic spending cuts? >> well, no one can think that's been a success for the president. he didn't think the guest worry happen. it is happening. but to date what we've seen is the president out campaigning to the american people, doing rallies around the country, flying around the country and berating republicans and blaming and pointing. now, what does that do?

that causes the republicans to retrench and to put up wall and to fight back. it's a very natural human emotion. >> let's bring in democratic strategists tara dodell and katrina heuvel. familiar faces all of the sudden. >> just when you thought it was safe. >> that's right. we're back to swimming big time. terry, you first tonight. what do you make of now mitt romney coming right out and going right after the president? >> well, the best way to ingratiate yourself with the republican base is go right after the president. mitt romney is on what i call hey, look, i'm not bad as i came across on the campaign tour right now. so as he is on this tour, how does he go about getting back into the good graces of the party, which clearly he wants to do which is why he is speaking at cpac, which is why he is doing this interview, which is why his wife is doing the interview with him. by having her at his side, that

softens him. it also makes it a little harder to ask him some of the hard-hitting questions. so this is a rehabilitation tour. >> in the midst of the fighting that has taken place with the republican party right now, christie not being invited to cpac, and there hasn't been a lot of positive news for republicans, what does mitt romney bring to the table? >> right now not much. i think the republican party is making a mistake if they want mitt romney to be their spokesperson. he lost. he should move on. and the party should move along as well. and realize that what cost us the election and that it's time for a new leaf. i mean, i understand the fact that he wanted to do this interview, and it is important to kind of close it all up and do the closing interview to, you know, a year on the campaign trail, some say five. but he really should have been a little more cautious in his tones towards the president. i think, you know, you want to go out as a class act, i think, especially when you know you're not running for office again. >> was it not classy what he said? >> i just think he could have had a little -- shown a little more grace like he did when he actually joined his concession

speech. >> chris, what do you make of it? >> well, it's declasp e to say the least. it's very strange for a candidate who just got beaten and beaten badly in the first major interview to come out and hit the president. what i would like mitt romney to actually do is something unique, which is tell the truth about why he lost. and be honest about the fact that as a republican standard bearer from the last election, we've got to change. we can't keep running elections where we alienate hispanics or we ignore immigration issues and think we're going to win elections. >> do you think he is going to do that at cpac? >> no. and you saw i think in that clip is that he is going to come out there and say why he would have been a better president. the problem is the american people clearly did not agree. and i don't think he does himself a service. and i don't think he helps the republican party which i actually am very ecstatic about. this just adds to the turmoil the republicans find themselves in. >> terry, you have new jersey roots. this whole week, ordeal with

chris christie, is this a republican mistake? >> i think it's definitely a republican mistake. i mean chris christie, for better for worse is extremely well liked in new jersey, which is shocking considering we have 10% unemployment. he has a 72% approval rate. >> could we be looking at the new republican leader right this? >> i think you could. but he's got a battle there is a lot of infighting going on, and there are a lot of people vying for that spot. and i think cpac not inviting him was a mistake. and christie -- >> it was great for christie. the fact is as he is going into an election year, he is getting support from democrats now. they are lining up to endorse him in new jersey, aztar ra said. but the problem is we put too much pressure, whether it's on the democrat or the republican side to be the standard bearer when you're governing. and the fact is that they shouldn't like we shouldn't have done it to marco rubio. we shouldn't do it to chris christie. let him do what he needs to do. let him get reelected.

>> the female vote in this country, they have a problem with that. latino vote, the minority vote, the black vote. i mean there are so many areas that the republicans have to work on. >> it's a demographic mess across the board. and listen, when you have people like christie who is an unorthodox candidate, who definitely appeals i think to different classes of voters that republicans like mitt romney clearly didn't, and he shunned from cpac and basically conservatives are out there hitting him, it tell where the republican is and where it's going to continue to go. >> that's the biggest problem with the republican party. >> let's be clear. >> the biggest problem with the republican party right i know is we require a litmus test. well shouldn't. we've got to have a broader tent. we've got to be more inclusive. just because we disagree on 10% doesn't mean we can't get along on 90. >> christie gives them an opportunity to do that. >> he does. >> but you'll never get the nomination because the same reason why they have come out so hard against him right now. >> so you think further right?

>> absolutely. they are looking for another reagan. and the funny thing is even reagan could not have won the republican nomination. >> tara, how important is it for the republicans to have their hands on immigration reform before 2016? >> it is so important. and i think they know that. the important thing is the republican party stoked up their base, threw all this red meet out, now they're trying to walk the base back and get them on board with something that is still not very popular amongst republican activists. >> quickly, winners, losers of the woodward white house? >> it was starting off to be woodward, but when the females came out it was the white house. >> i would have to say white house. i could take that guy -- >> chris kofinis and del percio. great to have you.

pointers on melding mines. that coming up. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta.

love to hear from our fans on facebook and on twitter tonight in response to president obama's statement about the sequester, we asked you to finish this sentence. "if i could jedi mind meld the republicans, i would --" kim schultz says she would make them realize how much they're hurting the middle class by being such gentlemen. daniel gross says he would reawaken their souls and hearts. and ms. sitzman says that implies that the republicans have minds. go to our facebook right now and you can look for the picture of president obama with "star trek" actress nichelle new orleans. tonight in the survey i asked did republicans damage the country's economic recovery today? 95s% of you say yes. 5% of you say no. coming up, carl paladino, ketchup and horse meat. there is good news. but there is also bad news.

i'll tell you which is which, next. stay with us. plus olay moisture bars help renew goddess skin. only from venus & olay. plus olay moisture bars help renew goddess skin. ♪ your finances can't manage themselves, but that doesn't mean they won't try. bring all your finances together with the help of the one person who can, a certified financial planner professional. cfp -- let's make a plan. but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin. in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their headache fast. visit fastreliefchallenge.com today for a special trial offer.

and we are back with good news. well, there is good news and there is bad news. we begin with good car news out of detroit, where today general motors went beyond growth estimates with sales rising 7% of the month of february. chrysler also announced that it will invest $400 million into transmission plants in indiana. they say it will create over a thousand new jobs. that is good news. but this is also some bad car news. this is in argentina, where a massive hailstorm is just pounding the streets. and look at this guy. this guy is trying to keep his black sedan from getting all geeked up and scratched up. good luck, dude. i don't know if that's going to work. more bad news out of buffalo where carl paladino, he is running for office again? you remember old carl. he was a tea party candidate who was destroyed in his bid to become governor of new york.

then he brought a baseball bat to his concession speech. carl announced on thursday that he is running for a seat on the buffalo school board. apparently carl has had some issues with the school board as of late. the associated press reports paladino was escorted by security out of wednesday's school board meeting after telling the board president she was out of line. allowing carl paladino around children sounds like bad news to me. good news in south korea, where a bunch of teens are supporting the local economy. this is what 250 worth of mcdonald's french fries look like. 21 tons of ketchup splattered all over the highway when a truck overturned on interstate 80 near reno, nevada. luckily it only looked like a gruesome bloodbath. no one was injured. i just hope the truck wasn't redd for korea. and finally, bad news for bob woodward. first he got busted exaggerating about getting threatened by the white house.

then last night woodward sullied his name and reputation appearing on fox news with sean hannity. now pay attention to the technical difficulties they had at the beginning of the interview. >> joining me now with reaction is the author of "the new york times" best-seller, "the price of politics" the one and only bob woodward. welcome back to the program. >> thank you. >> did you see hannity speak without opening his mouth? good news. it's proof sean hannity, he can talk out of his rear end. coming up, the great george takei is here tonight. stick around. we're right back. [ dad ] find it?

ya. alright, another one just like that. right in the old bucket. good toss! see that's much better! that was good. you had your shoulder pointed, you kept your eyes on your target. let's do it again -- watch me. just like that one... [ male announcer ] the durability of the volkswagen passat. pass down something he will be grateful for. good arm. that's the power of german engineering. ♪ back to you. ♪ we've been bringing people fotogether.5 years today we'd like people to come together

on something that concerns all of us...obesity. and as the nations leading beverage company we can play an important role. that includes continually providing more options. giving people easy ways to help make informed choices. and offering portion controlled versions of our most popular drinks. it also means working with our industry to voluntarily change whats offered in schools. but beating obesity will take continued action by all of us. based on one simple common sense fact, all calories count. and if you eat and drink more calories then you burn off you'll gain weight. that goes for coca cola and everything else with calories. finding a solution will take all of us. but at coca cola we know when people come together good things happen to learn more visit coke.com/comingtogether

starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news. try align. it's the number one ge recommended probiotic that helps maintain digestive balance. ♪ stay in the groove with align. ♪ need help keeping your digestive balance in sync? try align. it's a probiotic that fortifies your digestive system

with healthy bacteria 24/7. because your insides set the tone. stay in the groove with align. and in the big finish tonight, president obama became the center of the universe when he tried to explain a special power to get congress to take his deal to avert a sequester. >> the fact that they don't take it means that i should somehow, you know, do a jedi mind meld with these folks and convince them to do what is right. >> jedi mind meld? the reaction, ooh, was swift. here is a sample. no, obama, no! committed the ultimate nerd sin and mixed up "star wars" and "star trek." jedi mind meld? why, god, why. the "star trek" nerds and the "star wars" nerds and also a few

political nerds, they went absolutely nuts on this one. this is the vulcan mind meld from "star trek." >> what does your telepathic mind tell you now? >> i believe you. >> as you can clearly see, the vulcan mind meld is all about reading people's minds. spock can also allow others to read his mind. now, this is the jedi mind trick from "star wars." >> let me see your identification. >> you don't need to see his identification. >> we don't need to see his identification. >> these aren't the droids you're looking for. >> these aren't the droids we're looking for. >> with the jedi mind trick, you can literally change someone's mind. now clearly this is what the president of the united states was going for. but he kind of messed it up. spock himself, leonard nimoy weighed in. he tweeted only a vulcan mind

meld will help with this congress. the white house turned the controversy to its advantage, tweeting we must bring balance to the force. the white house also tweeted this picture. it links to the president's plan. clever. joining me tonight, actor and activist george takei. george, great to have you back on "the ed show" tonight. thank you so much. >> good to be here. >> you bet. now, with all due respect to the president of the united states today, he did kind of mess up a little bit, didn't he? >> no, i don't think so. you know, not too long ago, bill shatner, who played captain kirk tried to foment some adversarial situation between "star wars" and "star trek." well, they are opposite shows, but i agree with the president. you know, i recently brought bill shatner's confrontation to a star peace. and that's what the president is trying to do by merging the "star wars" jedi with the "star trek" word mind meld.

now jedis are the guardians of peace and justice. and mind meld is the vulcan way of having the force of pure, clean communication. between one mind and the other. well, that's what the president is trying to do. bring those two forces together, and with that kind of guardianship of peace and harmony and justice and bringing powerful minds together and communicating purely, you can find the rational answer. and that's finding common ground. and that's what they've got to do. unfortunately, we have the republicans who are comparable to klingons to deal with. the force of the mind meld and the jedi power